I am (strangely) from and in Nigeria. Y'all cannot even begin to imagine what it's like to be nontheist here. I only know one other person and he doesn't even reside in the country. I have to, on an hourly basis exercise a lot of control to not smirk cuz nowhere else in the world, are we besieged by such a flood of religion. It's in everything, even our laws have heavy religious leanings. It would not surprise me if nontheists were declared persona non grata here tomorrow, BY LAW. So, it's cool to be able to come here and let my hair down. And if y'all know any one of us from my country, would u hook us up or something.

I'm closer, Yountville. In 1950 I had not yet kicked religion and I was in the Navy, so instead of being an atheist in a foxhole I was a Catholic on a tin can. (That's Navy slang for a destroyer on which, contrary to rumor, sailors do not get flight pay, sea pay and submarine pay during storms at sea, though we sometimes earn it).

One great pleasure of being twice a rebel: during twenty years in SF, when Navy ships visited, I was one of a few atheists and assorted free thinkers who helped gay sailors on liberty from their ships meet local gays.

Tom, you remind me of San Francisco. I miss it. The cultural diversity, the huge number of restaurants - not chains, the public transportation, the city's beauty, the liberal political atmosphere, the progressive activist movements, I remember it fondly, and no-one ever made me vote in a church, and no-one cared that I was an atheist.